Steam-trap.



G. E. HULSE.

STEAM TRAP.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT.20,1905.

Patented May 31, 1910.

Arromv rs WITNESSES.-

Cir

IINITED STATES PATENT QI I IQE,

GEORGE E. HULSE, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SAFETY GAB. HEATING 8c LIGHTING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

STEAM-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 20, 1905.

Patented May 31, 1910. Serial No. 279,236.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. HULsE, residing at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Traps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to traps.

One of the objects thereof is to provide an eilicient steam trap, all parts of which shall be readily accessible.

Another object is to provide a durable device of the above nature which shall be of sensitive and yet reliable and uniform action.

Another object is to provide a trap, the parts of which are readily adjustable and yet remain as adjusted under all conditions of use.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the device hereinafter de scribed and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein is shown one of the various possible em bodiments of my invention, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the same. Fig. 2 is a cross section taken substantially on the line m-w of Fig. l.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout both views of the drawing.

In order to render better understood certain of the features of my invention, it may here be noted that I have found, in connection with devices of the nature of those with which this invention deals, that, as these devices are often installed in positions in which they are handled with difficulty, it is highly desirable that all parts be readily accessible as for purposes of repair, cleansing or adjustment. Also, I have found it highly important in connection with devices of the above nature that the parts maintain their precise adjustment and uniform action under all conditions of use. In cases where a large number of traps are employed, as, for example, in car heating, in which relation the hereinafter described device is peculiarly adapted for use, if the parts cannot be depended upon to maintain their adjustment, a considerable amount of labor is required to maintain the apparatus in efii cient working condition.

The above and other advantages are attained in constructions of the nature of that hereinafter described.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, there is shown at 1 what may be termed a casing, the same comprising a casting 2 and an annular ring 3 connected therewith as by piping 4t and suitable heatinsulating material 5 held in position by an outer sheath 6, which is secured to the ring and the casting as by screws 7 and 8. The upper portion of this casing is provided with an inlet 9, opposite to which is positioned an inclined hand valve 10 controlling the passage through a by-pass 11 which leads into the lower portion of the casing. As this valve is of well known construction and, of itself, forms no part of the present invention, a detailed description of the same is unnecessary. Between the valve 10 and the inlet 9 is positioned a plug 12 tapped within the casting 2, as shown in the drawings. About a shoulder 13 formed upon this plug is secured a cylindrical sieve or screen 14: adapted to fit within a recess 15 formed in the casting. As this screen is of smaller diameter than the opening in which the plug 12 is threaded, it will readily be seen that the same may be removed therethrough if desired. There are also provided plugs 16 and 17 respectively, positioned at each side of the screen 14;, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, thus rendering the screen yetmore readily accessible for purposes of inspection or cleansing. The openings, moreover, in which the last-mentioned plugs are positioned, may, if desired, form additional inlets by connecting the corresponding portions of the casing with suitable piping. Secured to the ring 3 as by bolts 18 is a collar 19 having formed therein openings 20 for the purpose hereinafter described. lVithin this col lar is threaded an outlet nozzle 21 having fixed upon the upper end thereof a discharge conduit 22, which terminates adjacent the lower end of the plug 12. Upon the conduit or tube 22 is threaded a collar 23, which, together with a gasket 24 secured thereon, is adapted to co-act with the cup-shaped lower end of the plug controlling the passage through discharge tube from the inlet 9 22. The collar 23 fits loosely within the walls of the casting 2, I

connected with theste'am piping which it is desired to V will gradually accumulate within that portion of casting 2 above collar 23, which may be termed the upper chamber thereof, and, on account of the reduced temperature of the plug 12 and tube 22, these parts being made of some material having a relatively high c'oeffi'cient of expansion, as brass, a contra'cti'onth'ereof will ensue and the gasket 24 will be drawn from the co-a'cting valve seat upon plug 12. The water which has accumulated above this valve is then forced through the conduit 22 and outlet 21; and, upon the upper chamber being emptied and live steam being blown past the plug 12 and through the conduit 22, these parts will expand so as to again close the automatic valve. This operation is automati'cally repeated as often as the parts have attained a sufficiently low temperature to open the valve, and the temperature at which such action takes place is, to a large extent, governed by the pressure with which the valve is closed. This pressure, of course, may be adjusted either by means of turning the "collar 23 upon the tube 22 or the outlet nozzle 21 within the col hr 19. In the event of the lower ortion of the trap becoming frozen, valve I0 is opened, thus blowingvlive steam through the by-pass 11 and the jacket formed about the discharge conduit 22 by the walls of the casing '1. This steam is blown out through the openings 20 and, by reason of heating the several parts, quickly melts any ice which may have formed therein. W

It may here be noted that the terms lateral and longitudinal 'are used throughout this description and the following claims in a broad sense to denote relative directions only. I j g It will thus be seen that I have provided apparatus well adapted to accomplish the several objects of my invention. The parts are readily adjusted as above described and yet, by reason of the fact that the collar 23 is free from the walls of the casing, its movement therein does not tend to throw the same out of adjustment. All parts of 12 and thus form a valve drain. The water of condensation the device, moreover, are readily accessible, it being necessary merely to remove plug in order to attain access to the screen 14 and the automatic valve, or by removing the collar 19, the entire conduit 22 with associated parts may be withdrawn through the lower end of the trap. The device, moreover, is

of the most uniform action, as the expansion of the metal only is involved, thus doing away with all chance of deterioration or change in the expanding medium, such as often arises in the cases wherein the ex ansion of a volatile fluid is depended upon. The action, moreover, is sensitive, as, on account of the fact that two expansib'le members co'a'ct one with another, a smaller contraction of either will open the automatic valve to a. predetermined point thanwould be the case if only one contracted. Alsopon account of positioning one of the 'expansible members in the upper port-tonal the trap and in contact at all times with the water of condensation, a higher degree of sensitiveness is attained. The entire device is of the simplest and most inexpensive construction and is positive and reliable in action to a high degree.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, I intend that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the 'accom janyin'g drawings shall be interpreted as ilustra'tive and not in a limiting sense. I desire it also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebet'ween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the class described, in combination, a casing, an inlet leading thereinto, an automatic valve, a cylindrical s'creen interposed between said valve and said inlet, said "casing being provided with an opening adjacent said screen and independent of said inlet, and a removable shouldered member tapped within sail opening and having said screen secured to said shoulder. p

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, a casing, an inlet leading thereinto, a discharge conduit secured to and spaced from said casing, a hand valve controlling the passage from said inlet between said discharge conduit and said casing, an

into, an outlet leading from said casing, an

expansible discharge conduit having one end in fixed relation to said outlet, relatively expansible means having one end in fixed relation to said inlet, said expansible means and said conduit extending toward one another and controlling the passage from said inlet to said outlet.

4:. In a device of the class described, in combination, a casing, an inlet leading thereinto, a discharge conduit, a relatively expansible member positioned within said casing adjacent said inlet and having one end thereof in fixed relation thereto adapted to co-act with said conduit and control the passage therethrough from said inlet.

5. In a device of the class described, in combination, a casing, an inlet leading thereinto, an expansible discharge conduit within said casing, a valve upon the said discharge conduit, and a removable relatively expansible member positioned within said casing adjacent said inlet adapted to co-act with said valve in controlling the discharge from said inlet through said conduit.

6. In a device of the class described, in combination, a casing, an inlet leading thereinto, an expansible discharge conduit within said casing, a valve upon the said discharge conduit, and a relatively expansible member positioned within said casing adjacent said inlet adapted to co-act with said valve in controlling the discharge from said inlet through said conduit.

7. In a device of the class described, in combination, a casing, an inlet leading thereinto, an outlet from said casing, an expansible discharge conduit within said casing and spaced therefrom having one end in fixed relation to said outlet, a hand valve controlling the discharge from said inlet between said conduit and said casing, a valve threaded upon said discharge conduit adapted to control the passage from said inlet through said discharge conduit, said second valve being free from contact with said casing, and a collar threaded upon said conduit independently of said valve adapted to engage said casing and guide said expansible member.

8. In a device of the class described, in combination, a casing, an inlet leading thereinto, an outlet, an expansible discharge conduit leading to said outlet, a valve mounted upon said conduit, a removable expansible member having a valve seat adapted to co-act with said valve, and a cylindrical screen secured to said removable member and interposed between said inlet and said valve.

9. In a device of the class described, in combination, a casing, an inlet leading thereinto, a discharge conduit, an automatic valve within said casing controlling the passage from said inlet through said discharge conduit, a removable expansible member posi tioned within said casing interposed between said inlet and said valve and adapted to actuate said valve, and a cylindrical screen interposed between said valve and said inlet and secured to said removable member.

10. In a device of the class described, in combination, a casing, an inlet leading thereinto, an outlet, an expansible discharge conduit leading to said outlet, a valve threaded upon said conduit and free from contact with said casing, removable means within said casing adjacent said inlet adapted to co-act with said valve and control the passage from said inlet through said discharge conduit, and a cylindrical screen mounted upon said removable means and interposed between said inlet and said Valve.

11. In a device of the class described, in combination, a casing, an inlet leading there into, an outlet, an expansible discharge conduit leading to said outlet and spaced from said casing, a valve threaded upon said conduit and free from contact with said casing, removable means within said casing adja- I cent said inlet adapted to co-act with said valve and control the passage from said inlet through said discharge conduit, a cylindrical screen mounted upon said removable means and interposed between said inlet and said valve, and a hand valve controlling the passage from said inlet between said conduit and said casing.

12. In a device of the class described, in combination, a casing, an inlet leading thereinto, an eXpansible discharge conduit within said casing, a valve upon said discharge conduit, and a plug threaded into said casing adjacent said inlet carrying an expansible member provided with a valve seat adapted to coact with said valve in controlling the discharge from said inlet through said conduit.

13. In a device of the class described, in combination, an inlet fitting, an adjustable plug secured therein, having formed integral therewith a valve member, an expansion tube supported on bearings in said fitting at one end, and axially alined with said plug, a second fitting for holding said expansion tube stationary at one end and means for connecting said first-mentioned fitting to the pipe of a steam appliance.

14. In a device of the class described, in combination, a casing and inlet leading thereto, an outlet leading from said casing, an expansible discharge conduit having one end in fixed relation to said outlet, means screw-threaded at one end into said casing in fixed relation to said inlet and having formed integral therewith a valve member, said valve member and said conduit extendin'g' toward one another and controlling the passage from said inlet to said outlet.

15. In a device of the class described, in combination, an inlet fitting ha'vi'ng a lateral inlet opening, an outlet fitting spaced therefrom and connected thereto by a tube, an expansible out-let conduitfined at one end to said outlet fitting and having a bearing in said inlet fitting, a plug threaded into said inlet fitting and extending inaxial ali'ne- Inent toward said outlet conduit, said vplug and said outlet conduit being formed and adapted to coaot to control the passage from said inlet to said outlet.

16. In a device of the class described, in

combination, a casing, an inlet leading thereinto, an outlet leading from said casing, an expansible conduit having one end in fixed relation to said outlet, a valve detachably secured to the other end of said conduit and means having one end in fixed relation to said inlet, said means and said conduit extending toward one another and controlling the passage from said inlet to said outlet.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE E. HULSE.

Witnesses A. C. Mooizn, GEO. T. MERWIN. 

